Breeding Robin

[Syphoniera]

That'll be nice, spending Xmas with your daughter - and it'll give the rest of us some excitement to look forward to after the holidays are done, so perfect all around!
I believe a couple of weeks have to be spent conditioning the prospective parents anyway, plus you have little more time to get psyched up and have everything all planned out.
Sometimes getting there is half the fun...

 

[SharonCC]

You're right...I am just a very impatient person. It will be nice to have Christmas at her house, as she's really excited about owning her first house. Stay tuned...maybe things will be good for the first week in Jan.

 

[SharonCC]

Well, I conditioned for two weeks, and introduced Robin and Belle last Friday. Bubble nest started almost immediately, and worked on since. It seems a little flimsy, though, and has fallen apart somewhat... Still no wrapping, although Robin keeps trying to get her under the nest. Her tube is showing, and I think I've seen vertical barring. I fed yesterday, in the breeding bin, although I'm not sure I should have. I'm worrying now...as I thought they would be done, as it's been 4days...Should I remove both, do a water change, and let them try again?

 

[lilfishie]

try putting her back in the chimney over night then let her out in the morning, loads say it works

 

[SharonCC]

Thanks...I'll try that!

 

[azulfire24]

try a gental water change as well , the feeding and then pooping of the adult fish may have iked the water quality a bit,, babys need perfect water, and sometime mom and dad wont get it on if they dont like the water itself, so make sure its fresh.

 

[SharonCC]

I've been wondering about water changes...I did do one last night, after the nest fell apart. Assuming they are sucessful with another nest, how do you do water changes without destroying it? Should I feed?

 

[MaddieJ]

My pair were conditioned for quite a while, in a divided tank together. I then put Teqs into my breeding tank for 5 days, whilst I carried on the conditioning of both. On the Friday (day 5), I gave them both a load of blood worm, gave them an hour or two to settle after their big feed then did an 80% water change in my breeding tank. Added new IAL and put the girl in her chimney (I actually floated a clear plastic tub type thing half in the water, half out). I left them like this over night, released her in the morning at about 11, jarred her up again at about 3. Released on Sunday (day 7) at about 9 and they were spawning at 11.

If you don't feed at all, the pair will feast on the eggs and him on the babies. Equally you want to clean the tank as close to their spawning as possible so you don't need to do it again until the babies are well established in the tank.

If you need to do a water change, jar your girl up and place her next to the tank, so they can still see each other. Give them a good feed on blood worms if possible then do a water change in the tank. Get the water you add to as close to 28'c as you can, before putting it in the tank, as you don't want to throw him off. Add some IAL. Once done, put her and her jar back into the tank for the rest of today and release her in the morning. This would be my plan of action if I were in your boots.

Hope that helps.

 

[SharonCC]

Thanks!!!

 

[azulfire24]

I've been wondering about water changes...I did do one last night, after the nest fell apart. Assuming they are sucessful with another nest, how do you do water changes without destroying it? Should I feed?

and with water changes when u have tiny fry, i used a airline tubeing with a bit of a nylon tied over the end,, then i siphoned very carefully, takes forever. then when u add the new do the same thing use the airline tubeing to siphion but ither put a kink in it or clamp it off a bit so the water very slowly drips in to the spawn tank...at the exact same temp as the tank water...

a big splash of new water, even the same temp can shock the babies too much abd then they can die.

and i tight fitting lid helps the humidity and baby need warm humid air,, so when doing changes try to only lift a smalll courner of lid, my sis and i use plastic wrap sometimes if the lid isnt tight, cause a rush of cold dry air can kill them too.

 

[SharonCC]

Thanks again...I added a "cookie cutter" after the water change. It looked to me, like it would be great for a bubble nest. Robin agreed as he's made a nest under it. Belle still won't go under the nest....I'm hoping they get to it, today!!!

 

[SharonCC]

Belle is still not interested, and Robin seems to be doing everything right...I've started conditioning Olive. She doesn't look veiltail(I don't want to use a Veil) but not sure if she's Crowntail.

 

[halfmoonbetta]

How old is belle?

 

[SharonCC]

I'm not sure, but she was quite small when I got her, and I've had her about six months. I'd estimate a year....

 

[SharonCC]

I've just moved Robin and Belle out of that stupid plastic bin ...they are now in a 10gal tank. I couldn't see through the plastic well enough. I imagine it would have been impossible to see fry. Anyway, I managed to move the bubble nest intact...thanks to the cookie cutter. I may have screwed up the whole breeding process, though.............We'll see..............